Hubble Catches Star-Forming Locations of Galaxy NGC 7090

NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has captured the galaxy NGC 7090 which is edge on from Earth. Its spiral arms that are filled with young hot stars cannot be viewed easily.

These images were captured using the Wide Field Channel of the Advanced Camera for Surveys aboard the Hubble Space Telescope and combines orange light, infrared and emissions from glowing hydrogen gas.

Apart from this we can also view the galaxy's disc and the bulging central core that is composed of large group of cool old stars packed in a spheroidal region. 

One of the features noticeable through the image was intricate pattern of pinkish and red regions over the whole galaxy, indicating the presence of clouds of hydrogen gas. These structures map out the location of star formation. The recent studies classify NGC 7090 as an actively star forming.

Secondly the dust lanes were noticeable that were depicted as dark regions inside the disc of the galaxy. In NGC 7090, these regions are mostly located in lower half of the galaxy, showing an intricate filamentary structure.

Due to the presence of dust particles in our galaxy the milkyway astronomers find it difficult to make proper observations. But at the near near-infrared wavelengths -- slightly longer wavelengths than visible light -- this dust is largely transparent and astronomers are able to study what is really behind it.

Located 30 million light years from the sun, NGC 7090 is located in the Southern constellation of Indus. It was on 4 Oct 1834 that this galaxy was first observed by astronomer John Herschel.